Finally, the Weekend

I am so glad it's Friday.  I am really ready for the weekend.  Nothing really major happened this week, but it has dragged out so much.  It's just after 3:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, and I am exhausted.  I wish I had a nap today.  I'm guessing an early bed time tonight.  It's gonna be a busy weekend.  I haven't had much time at home the last few weekends.  Three weeks ago was Christmas, two weeks ago was New Years.  Christmas was at my parents', and I had planned to stay home for the new year, but went to take care of gimp Dad and sick Mom.  Last weekend I had drill with the army reserves.  So this weekend will be try-to-catch-up weekend.  My nephew had a birthday last weekend I couldn't make it to because of drill.  I ahve another nephew having a birthday this weekend.  I'll be there because it will be at Pizza Inn just down the road from my house.  But the list is long of things to get done.  Mike is smoking a Boston butt roast for Saturday.  I want to drain and clean the fish tanks.  Max needs a hair cut.  I will probably (try) to move a dresser and rearrange clothes this weekend.  The list is endless.  But next weekend I will be flying to Orlando, Florida for a Yellow Ribbon Campaign for the army.  It's mainly a suicide prevention class, but they also hook up those who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with resources for benefits, school, employment assistance, etc.  If I pass this Physical Training test next month (that reminds me, I have to run tonight) I will probably be going to school in South Carolina at the end of next month.  Wow!  My plate is full! 
Mike was talking to farmer last night.  He was over visiting when I got home from work.  They were discussing the up coming planting season and (what else) chickens.  He's got Mike hyped about it all!  He wants to make some sort of business out of it all.  He wants to plant peppers for vinegar sauce, and other veggies to sell at the market.  Not to mention, breeding chickens to sell.  Oh, breathe........I need prayer!  LOL 
Well, got lots to do.  I'll try to get my camera from my mom this weekend at the party.  Everyone have a great weekend!

One More Thing

I'M NOT JULIE ANDREWS!  I also love a good football game, cold beer, my pick up truck, and fishing trips!

My Freebies

I knew it was just a matter of time.  I saw each of you posting about the things that you enjoy for free.  I knew eventually someone would tag me, and I'd have to make a list of the things that I enjoy for free.  So I started my list yesterday, while I was waiting.  And Tracey has tagged me on her second go round.  I am not going to tag anyone.  Obviously, we all have free things that we enjoy.  So, if you are reading this, and have a list of your own you'd like to post, please do feel free.  Tagging is up to you.  With out further adieu, the following is my list:

 

1.    My Michael Wayne

 

2.    5 a.m Rooster Alarms

3.    Nephews and Nieces and all my Family

4.    Snuggles with my Cats and Dogs

5.    Long Summer Days (great for fishing)

6.     Hatching Baby Chicks

7.    http://www.wralfm.com/

8.    Finding money left in your coat pocket from last Spring

9.    Fresh Flowers

10.    Friends over for a visit

Update

Thanks to everyone asking about my mom.  She is much better and is back to work.  Odd thing is she was down with the flu, but she had gotten her flu shot.  Guess that flu shot isn't as great as they are saying it is.  Mike is just now getting better.  It's bad when he gets sick because it takes him forever to get better. 

I had drill this past weekend.  I really wasn't looking forward to it, as I had a PT test (Physical Training).  I had to do so many push-ups and sit-ups for two minutes each.  Then I had to run 2 miles.  I didn't do so hot on the run.  They are sending me to Orlando, Florida January 22-24 for  a Yellow Ribbon Campaign.  It's anti-suicide classes for those who have been to Iraq.  I came back four years ago.  I'd probably have done that by now if I were going to, but they say it's manditory, so off I go.  Then they are telling me that I will take another PT test next month.  This time I must pass the run.  If I pass I will be going to WLC (Warrior Leadership Course) in South Carolina to get a promotion.  If I fail the run, I get demoted.  No pressure.  A friend in my unit said he will pace me, but I have to lose at least five pounds in a month.  I'm not over weight, but I could stand to lose 15 to 20 pounds.  I've got my work cut out for me.

And something very important will be happening tomorrow night.  If you are the fan I am, they you are gearing up for American Idol!!  Yeeee-hawww! 

I was in Iraq when I picked Carrie Underwood to win.  I got home in March and voted for her like crazy.....and she won. But things will be a little different this year.  We have said good-bye to Paula Abdul.

And we are welcoming Ellen Degeneres.  I liked Paula, but she always seemed to be an emotional train wreck.  I don't know what to think of Ellen.  I'm not sure what credentials she's got that qualifies her to be a singing competition judge.  But, nonetheless, I'm curious to see how this, the 9th season, will turn out.  I understand that Ellen will not be on the first few shows (which are often the funniest as people make fools of themselves), but will show up at the judgement episodes.  Time will tell.  Let me see if I can pick the winner again!  If there are any fans out there, check it out on FOX tomorrow night.  Let me know who you think might be The Next American Idol! 

Lacking the Visual Aids

Well, Mike managed to leave the camera in my mom's car....which is now an hour and a half away.  So I cannot take any new pics or down load the ones already on the camera.  But I didn't want that to keep me from posting.  So I am posting today without any pictures to show you guys.  I have a number of hens that should be laying right now, even with the cold weather.  A friend of mine that works for the same company as I do also has chickens.  He is getting eggs from his, but I have not gotten a single egg since before Thanksgiving.  That's about a month and a half without eggs.  I have been feeding them well a mix of layer pellets and scratch grains.  I know there's not a lot of day light now, but I should be getting something!  Well, someone better start laying soon, or I will have farmer come over and dress a few for the dinner plate! 

So with all that in mind, he (my friend) was asking how many hens I have that should be laying.  I didn't have an accurate count, so I grabbed a note pad and tried to count them.  If I'm not missing anyone I have counted 9 roosters and 35 hens.  But some of the hens are not of laying age quite yet.  I have 22 hens that should be of laying age, including 5 or 6 Black Sex Links (known good layers).  With 22 hens of laying age, shouldn't I be getting a couple of eggs a day? 

Here's about what I have:
Silkies: 1 white rooster; 1 white hen; 1 blue rooster; 1 blue hen (white hen lays, blue hen is one-eyed and may not lay)
Orpingtons: 1 buff rooster, 1 black rooster, 5 buff hens; 1 black hen (all laying age)
Sex Links: 6 black hens (laying age)
White Cornish Rocks: 5 white hens (laying age)
Rhode Island Red: 1 rooster (pea comb)
RI Red/ White Rocks: 5 hens; 1 rooster (Little Chicken)
RI Red/Buff: 5 hens (not laying age)
Dominique (I think): 1 rooster
Cuckoo Maran: 1 rooster (Bojangles)
Mixed Bantams: 1 rooster; 5 hens (2 laying age)

Who Didn't Pay The Bill?

So Mike was gone last night.  I spent the night alone, a rarity for me.  It wasn't too bad.  I stopped by Food Lion and bought a one skillet chicken meal and cooked for myself.  I also bought some frozen things for lunch for the rest of the week instead of buying my lunch every day, plus a half gallon of caramel praline crunch ice cream because it was buy one get one free.  I took down the tree and put it in the spare room.  It's kinda lonely by myself.  And boring.  There was nothing on tv, so I spent the night surfing channels.  I thought I was going to stretch out in bed, but that quickly got nipped in the bud.  When I went to the bedroom I found Max already plopped right in the middle of the bed.  Minnie was hot on my heels.  And Elvis almost always sleeps with me....on my chest if he can help it.  That's three.  I had a bowl of ice cream in bed with me while I watched a little more tv before nodding off.  Of course the dairy product attracted three more.  Priscilla climbed up on the foot of the bed.  Then Black Kitty and Stripey Cat raced, literally raced, up to ask for some ice cream.  I was rude.  I didn't share.  But no one had any intention of getting out of bed, even as I got up to put my bowl in the sink.  So I spent the night sleeping in a bed with two dogs and four cats.  How romantic, eh?

My morning was entirely too cold!  It was 21 degrees out!  (For all you non-Americans that's -6!)  I had to wonder who didn't pay the electir or gas bill that it has gotten so cold and is not  refusing to warm up.  I went to feed and water the birds before leaving for work to find all their water frozen.  The water hose was frozen, too.  So I had to carry about nine watering can fulls of hot water from the house to pour over the ice.  It took me a while to do that, and I was a little late for work.  It was all good, though.  I talk about my chickens at work all the time. 

Mike called and said my mom came to him in the middle of the night with cough syrup because he was coughing all night.  LOL  The sick caring for the sick!  Don't know when he'll be home.  I guess their house is turning into a leper colony!  : D  I'll call Mike later to find out when he'll be home.

A Busy Start

My new year has not had a slow beginning.  New Year's eve was end-of-month close out for work, so that meant reports out the wazoo, as usual.  Mike had been sick all week and was in bed quite early New Years Eve.  I was intending to stay up to watch the ball drop at Time Square, but I don't care for the musical na-na's of the shows they put on.  So, as any old person would do, I watched the news channels...CNN, FOX News, etc.  But laying on the couch does not help you stay awake.  I fell asleep sometime around 11 p.m.  I woke around 1:30 a.m., shut off the tv, lights, and fish tank lights, and headed off to bed.  New Years Day was rainy and nasty out.  It was quite unmemorable.  House work and chores and such.  Then Saturday morning my mom called around 8:30 a.m. just as I was waking up.  (I slept in)  She was crying and it scared me.  I immediately thought there was some sort of accident and someone was hurt or worse.  She told me her chest was hurting, she thought she had pneumonia and wanted me to come take care of her and my gimp dad.  I jumped up, bathed, packed for the weekend and headed to their house.  My grandfather took her to the ER when I arrived and a couple of hours later she arrived back home with the diagnosis of FLU.  I asked if it was bird flu, swine flu, or human flu to which she replied, "Does it matter?"  So Granddad went to town to get fried chicken from Hardee's for dinner while I did a little cleaning.  I made some Christmas sugar cookies that evening, and Granddad steamed some oysters he brought home from Chinkoteague, VA where he's been fishing out of lately.  My cousin Mike (not to be confused with my Mike) was over to visit, and we watched some college football...ECU needs a new kicker!!.  Sunday was a little more cleaning and NFL football.  I put on a roast in the slow cooker, and Granddad said he'd look in on it before he left to go back out fishing.  I headed home to get myself ready for work today, and to tell Mike that Mom wanted him to come out to help some more.  So my new year has not been slow.  Mike's at the folks, and I'm spending a rare night alone.  It might be fast food, but I might also stop by Food Lion for an easy and quick cook-for-yourself dinner.  I'll have to see.